Dell Hits Snags In VenuePro Rollout

Dell Computer has run into some hiccups delivering its VenuePro Smartphone, but is offering anyone who ordered one before Dec. 14 a free set of headphones.

The company wouldn't be specific about what caused the delays in shipping, leaving many in the blogosphere to speculate that it was anything from a manufacturing snafu to a more serious defect.

At present, Dell's site shows the VenuePro available for $499 or $459, depending on whether it is the 16GB model or the 8GB model. With plans from a carrier - T-Mobile in this case - the price goes to $149 and $99, respectively. The site says the first phones will be ship Jan. 4.

The phone was released to the Microsoft retail stores - currently open in eight cities - in November, but not every Microsoft store was open at the same time. A Dell spokesperson said there was supposed to be a soft rollout on Dec. 1, making the phone available on its web site.

There were some missteps, the spokesperson said. But we're willing to sacrifice a little bit of time so customer has the right 'out of the box' experience.

To compensate for the delay, Dell is offering free overnight shipping to anyone who ordered a phone before Dec. 16. Any customers who ordered a phone through Dec. 14 will get the free headset, though that won't arrive for four to six weeks.

Dell isn't the only manufacturer that has run into delays. Nokia recently delayed the rollout of its E7, and last year Apple could not keep up with the demand for some iPhones.